TODAY, 9 NOVEMBER, marks the thirtieth anniversary of the disappearance of Josephine ‘Jo Jo’ Dullard.

On 9 November 1995, 21-year-old Jo Jo travelled to Dublin from Kilkenny and spent the evening socialising in Bruxelles Bar on Harry Street. She missed her last bus home that evening and at 10pm, boarded a bus to Naas in Co Kildare.

She intended to hitch hike the rest of the way to Callan in Co Kilkenny, and she hitched two lifts – the first from Naas to Kilcullen, and then from Kilcullen to Moone.

In Moone, she made a phone call to her friend Mary Cullinan at 11:37pm, telling Mary a car had stopped for her and she was going to take the lift.

Jo Jo was not seen nor heard from again.

She was reported missing in the morning by her sister Kathleen and her disappearance has been the subject of a garda investigation in the 30 years since. As of November 2020, her disappearance has been classified as a murder review.

Jo Jo had four siblings – her older sister Mary, who campaigned tirelessly for information on her death, died in 2018. Last year, gardaí arrested a man and began to dig, hunting for Jo Jo’s remains. The man was released without charge and nothing was uncovered.

Gardaí are strongly urging anyone who has any information to come forward – this can be confidential. 

A statement from gardaí said: “Jo Jo was in Bruxelles Bar, Harry Street (off Grafton Street), Dublin 2 on the 9 November 1995. Do you remember meeting Jo Jo?

“Jo Jo had her Sanyo Stereo cassette Player (model MGP21) with her on the 9 November 1995. Did anyone see this cassette player after the 9 November 1995; did anyone receive such a cassette player from a friend or person that could not tell you from where they received it?

“An Garda Síochána is appealing to any person who was hitchhiking in the immediate area around Moone, Co. Kildare at the end of October 1995 or the start of November 1995, please come forward and speak to our investigation team.

“Or did you give a lift to a hitchhiker around the same time in the Moone area. If you did, the investigation team would like to talk to you!”

It added: “Jo Jo’s family have now suffered from her disappearance for 30 years. An Garda Síochána is resolute in our determination to provide answers for Jo Jo’s family and bring her murderer to justice.”